UNews - Pronghorns

Secrets to scholarship success

trevor.kenney — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 17:39:10 +0000

Sworn to secrecy, the first thing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student Jill Tataryn did when she found out she was the recipient of the Futures Fund Scholarship for Outstanding Leadership was to treat her mom to a coffee.

The fourth-year, Faculty of Management finance major explains that, “The news was to be kept confidential, so it was a struggle to keep it from my close friends and family.”

Fourth-year finance major Jill Tataryn to be honoured at Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year Gala.

Accordingly, Tataryn had to celebrate that moment in secret by doing what she does best — giving back.

Tataryn is one of 10 university business students from across Canada chosen to be honoured at Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year Gala being held in Toronto in February. Award winners, who will receive grants of $7,500 each, had to have demonstrated exemplary leadership skills through academic achievement and extra-curricular activities to be chosen.

Tataryn, who hails from Lethbridge, lists the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s state-of-the-art trading room, the opportunity to play rugby for the Pronghorns and the opportunist nature of the management degree as reasons to why she picked her program. And at the heart of all of her work, she says, “There’s no better feeling than giving back to your community.”

In addition to earning a high GPA, Tataryn is active in a number of clubs at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, including the Management Students’ Society (MSS) for which she was chosen to be director academic. Her leadership also extends to the rugby field where Tataryn is part of the women’s rugby team leadership group. She also spends time coaching both her teammates as well as the girls’ rugby team at Chinook High School. Tataryn is also a volunteer with the Good Samaritan Society, the Lethbridge Soccer Association and Project Paintbrush.

In fact, when asked what trait she possesses that she thinks has led her to such success, Tataryn named her desire to be involved.

“It has allowed me to participate in so many opportunities and experiences thus far. Putting yourself out there is the best way to be ‘lucky’ when it comes to getting a job, a volunteer position or a scholarship,” she says.

And on top of giving back and being involved, Dan Kazakoff, assistant dean, Experiential Education Programs, and one of Tataryn’s former professors, recognizes the other ingredient that has propelled the prestigious business-grant winner to success.

“Jill realizes that hard work is necessary to reach your goals and not only has she shown that in the past, I believe she will continue to do so over her career,” says Kazakoff. “Jill is well deserving of this award.”

To all who know Tataryn, all this is no secret.

Local donors jump on board to assist women's rugby program

trevor.kenney — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 17:56:37 +0000

The Pronghorn women’s rugby team will see a significant increase in the program’s Athletic Financial Awards (AFA) thanks to the commitment and generosity of a local couple.

Lorne and Diane Patzer, CI Financial and Assante Financial have collaborated to create up to 10 new awards per year with a donation of $20, 000 over the next two years.

“"We are happy to support Pronghorns women's rugby,” says Lorne Patzer. “Few, if any, other sports embody all the skill sets, body types and camaraderie that we have found so evident in rugby.”

“We have watched and marvelled these embodiments while following our daughter, Ashley (Patzer) Steacy, from high school, to club, to age grade rep teams, to university and finally to the national team.”

Over the next two years, awards will be given to the Horns' top back, forward and rookie in addition to the CI Financial/Assante Financial women’s rugby awards, which will be awarded to two to seven players that meet specified criteria.

“We consider it to be an honour to help several members of the women's rugby team advance their education while at the same time they give their all to make the Horns the best they can be," says Patzer.

Pronghorn Athletics and the women’s rugby team are honoured and very grateful for this generous scholarship gift and support of Pronghorn athletes.

“We are privileged to be supported by the Patzer family, CI and Assante and this provides a big boost to the program,” says head coach Ric Suggitt. “The faith that they have demonstrated in our program will assist in attracting top level athletes.”

“This, in turn, will translate into excellence on and off the field as it will allow our players to focus on what is paramount for our student-athletes to be successful.”

The Patzers are no strangers to the Pronghorns women’s rugby program, as their daughter Ashley starred for the Horns from 2005 to 2009. During her famed Pronghorn career, Ashley was twice named the Canada West and CIS player of the year (2006, 2009), was the Canada West and CIS rookie of the year in 2005 and was a four-time CIS All-Canadian.

She was also part of four consecutive Canada West Championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) and three straight CIS Championships (2007, 2008, 2009), including the 2008 CIS Championship hosted in Lethbridge, where she was named the CIS Tournament most valuable player.

Ashley has gone on to star with the Canadian Women’s Sevens team, winning bronze at the Rio Olympics, and was named to the 2015 IRB Women’s Sevens Series dream team, recognizing the top seven players of the season series.

Pronghorn student-athletes honoured with Academic All-Canadian awards

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:59:02 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn athletes continue to excel in balancing their athletic endeavours and academic pursuits as 46 student-athletes achieved Academic All-Canadian status for 2014-15.

Every year, the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) honours student-athletes who are proficient in sport at the university level, while also maintaining an 80 per cent average in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. This is an outstanding accomplishment considering the amount of time student-athletes commit to training.

“Our Academic All-Canadians epitomize what it means to be a student-athlete,” says Sport and Recreation Executive Director Ken McInnes. “These exceptional student-athletes have learned to balance their academic and athletic demands to achieve a high level of success and should be proud of their accomplishments.”

The 46 Pronghorn athletes honoured from this past year account for more than 25 per cent of the school’s varsity athletes. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognized these outstanding individuals at a dinner hosted by U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon and his wife Maureen.

“The hosting of this event at the Mahon’s home adds a very special touch and recognizes the importance of their achievement to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says McInnes.

Women’s rugby players led the way with nine members of the team achieving All-Canadian status, followed closely by women’s hockey with eight. The men’s soccer program had the most among the men’s teams with six players named as Academic All-Canadians.

The 2014-15 Pronghorn Academic All-Canadians are also recipients of the Deb Steacy AAC Scholarship.

Since the inception of the Academic All-Canadian program in 1990, a total of 849 Pronghorn varsity athletes have been named Academic All-Canadians.

Following is the list of Pronghorn athletes who achieved CIS Academic All-Canadian status for 2014-15:

Men’s Basketball
Alexi Frigon, Health Sciences
Jason Nysten, Arts & Science
Zacharia Overwater, Fine Arts

Men’s Hockey
Daniel Fainman, Management
Dylan Tait, Arts & Science

Men’s Soccer
Sean Gaiesky, Arts & Science
Ethan Perkins, Arts & Science
Domenic Rigaux, Management
Cormac Southam, Arts & Science
Shlomo Swan-Azmon, Arts & Science
Kendell Wiens, Arts & Science

Men’s Swimming
Joshua Baerg, Arts & Science
David Errington, Arts & Science
Owen Guyn, Arts & Science
Cole Midtdal, Arts & Science

Women’s Basketball
Elizabeth Buie, Arts & Science
Kimberley Veldman, Health Sciences

Women’s Hockey
Jenae Culp, Arts & Science
Delaney Duchek, Arts & Science
Aislinn Kooistra, Arts & Science
Sadie Lenstra, Health Sciences
Jessica Lohues, Arts & Science
Katherine Mucha, Health Sciences
Kirsten Reeves, Health Sciences
Jocelyn Sabourin, Health Sciences

Women’s Rugby
Shelby Brennan, Management
Bryna Cline, Arts & Science
Sarah Gordon, Health Sciences
Kara Loewen, Arts & Science
Jane O'Connor, Arts & Science
Coreen Riley, Health Sciences
Jillian Tataryn, Management
Alison Toews, Arts & Science
Paula Woynarowsky, Education

Women’s Soccer
Alycia Amatto, Arts & Science
Erica Augsten, Arts & Science
Jesse Dueck, Arts & Science
Danielle Lagemaat, Arts & Science
Keagan Moch, Health Sciences
Kimberly Shellenberg, Health Sciences

Women’s Swimming
Rebekah Albu, Health Sciences
Ardelle Layden, Health Sciences
Caprice Rosentreter, Arts & Science

Women’s Track & Field
Rebecca Bermel, Arts & Science
Lara Roth, Arts & Science
Amanda Weiler, Arts & Science

Outstanding season earns Ronsky a spot on Maple Leaf roster

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 17:53:33 +0000

Following a season in which she was named a second team All-Canadian, a Canada West All-Star and a CIS Championship tournament all-star, fourth-year wing Nicole Ronsky of the Pronghorns women's rugby team has been named to Canada's Maple Leaf roster for the opening round of the 2015-16 HSBC Women's Sevens Series to be held in Dubai Dec. 3-4.

The Maple Leafs, a developmental team, will play in the International Invitational portion of the Dubai tournament and will face South Africa, the Belgium Rugby 7s and Tabusoro Angels during day one of the tournament.

Nicole Ronsky, here in action against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, will play with the national developmental team at the 2015-16 HSBC Women's Sevens Series to be held in Dubai, Dec. 3-4.

"It is an outstanding opportunity for Nicole and I think that it is great for Canada West and CIS to have our athletes make that next step and get an opportunity to represent Canada," says first-year Pronghorns head coach Ric Suggitt. "Our team getting into the playoffs was a bit of a surprise to most people, but what was no surprise was Nicole's ability to perform in high pressure situations."

Ronsky, who turned heads two weeks ago with her performance at the CIS Championships in Kingston, will make her first appearance with the national sevens program and will head to Victoria on November 24 to prepare with the team for the Dubai tournament.

"I am overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude for this amazing opportunity," says Ronsky. "It wouldn't have been possible without my amazing coaches, teammates and administrators and the continuous support from my incredible family. It's so good to be a U of L Pronghorn."

This season, Ronsky was named a Canada West All-Star for the third year in a row and finished tied for the team lead in tries.

At the Canada West final four, Ronsky scored twice in the Horns' semifinal win over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, which secured a berth in the CIS Championships. She scored another try in the Horns' loss to the Victoria Vikes in the Canada West Championship game.

At the CIS Championships in Kingston, the Calgary, Alta. product led the Horns in tries, scoring three times in three games. She scored twice in the team's final game, a loss to the Vikes in the fifth-place consolation contest.

"Not only does Nicole have the ability to break it open and race to the goal line, she is also a fierce tackler," says Suggitt. "I think it was her tackling count that caught the eye of National Team Coach John Tait."

Former Pronghorns Ashley Steacy (nee Patzer) and Kayla Moleschi are also members of the Canadian National Sevens program, which has already qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Steacy will miss the Dubai tournament due to a knee injury.

Impressive recruiting class for Horns men's hockey team

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 21:58:32 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team has turned over a significant portion of its roster as head coach Spiros Anastas announced the commitment of 12 new players for the 2015-16 Canada West season.

Former Lethbridge Hurricane forward Jay Merkley, left foreground, and former Edmonton Oil King and Memorial Cup champion Blake Orban, right standing, are among 12 new recruits that will bring a wealth of major junior experience to the Horns program.

Within the group of 12, the program will add nine forwards and three defencemen, seven of which have Western Hockey League experience and who will be taking advantage of the WHL Scholarship program. Two other players have spent time in the NCAA and the other three join the program after playing exclusively in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

“We are extremely happy with our recruiting class thus far for 2015-16 and we’re not done yet. We're expecting to announce two or three more players in the coming month,” says Anastas. “We will be a very young team but one that has significantly increased in skill and major junior experience.”

Three of the incoming freshmen also have direct ties to Pronghorns alumni, highlighted by forward Sam McKechnie. Sam is the son of Dana McKechnie, who was a member of the Pronghorns' lone ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cup Championship team, while Blake Orban is also a second generation Pronghorn, after his father Scott played for the Pronghorns during their inaugural Canada West season in 1984-85. The third member of the group is former Olds Grizzly, Kyle Moore, who follows in his brother Dustin’s footsteps. Dustin is a former Pronghorn captain and Canada West first team all-star.

“Our WHL games played have nearly tripled from last year's roster and a number of these recruits have been captains of their Junior teams,” says Anastas. “It’s never easy to let go of as many players as we did at the end of last season, but the turnover was necessary to send this program in a new direction.”

Forwards Jay Merkley, Dalton Sward, Colton Sheen, Robert Lindores, Brett Roulston, and Bryson Gore and defenceman Tyler Hansen, Dustin Fostvelt and Austin Kernahan round out the group announced by Coach Anastas.

“I strongly believe that we are bringing in great people who want to be Pronghorns and great members of our campus community,” says Anastas. “We are excited for our returning players, our incoming recruits, and this hockey program. We have worked hard at this and plan to take some big leaps from the improved strides we made last season.”

For a look at each of the recruits, check out the GoHorns website.

Hernandez, Millman claim CIS track gold medals

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 22:14:20 +0000

Peter Millman and Aaron Hernandez led the way with gold medal performances as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team capped the 2015 university athletic season with an outstanding performance at the CIS Track and Field Championships in Windsor, Ont.

Aaron Hernandez has now won back-to-back CIS gold medals in triple jump.

Millman captured gold in the shot put while Hernandez claimed his second successive national gold medal in the triple jump event. Both athletes entered the CIS championship meet as Canada West champions.

"It was a great weekend; everyone performed as expected and it's obviously great coming home with two national champions,” says Horns head coach Larry Steinke. “It's not only a nice way to cap the season, it sets the tone for next season as well."

For Millman, a third-year Truro, Nova Scotia product, the CIS title was sweet redemption. In the past two CIS meets he'd failed to reach expectations and come up shy in his quest for the medal podium. He would not be denied in Windsor.

Peter Millman earned his first CIS shot put gold by the slimmest of margins.

“It’s extra special (this year) considering I did quite horrible, actually, the last two years," Millman told the Truro Daily News.

Millman had to come from behind to claim the shot put gold, using his fifth throw of the event to post a 17.18-metre distance, one centimetre ahead of Marc-Antoine Lafrenaye-Dugas of Sherbrooke ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The throw was also only five centimetres shy of the personal best he set only three weeks ago at the Canada West Championship. Millman then sat back and watched as Lafrenaye-Dugas attempted two more throws to get back into the gold position, but faulted on each attempt.

“The fifth throw was awesome,” Millman told the Daily News shortly after his win. “I knew I had to go for it on that one, I couldn’t play it safe anymore. It’s just amazing right now.”

Millman's teammate, Ryan Sommer, finished sixth with a throw of 15.54 metres.

Hernandez, the defending CIS Champion and reigning CIS rookie of the year, continued his dominance in the triple jump. His jump of 15.33 metres was an astounding 40 centimetres better than the rest of the field. During his six jump sequence, four of Hernandez's five recorded jumps would have been good enough for the gold medal victory.

With all three of their competing athletes scoring points, the Horns accumulated 26 total points, which was the third best among Canada West schools and the top among the three Alberta schools participating at the championships. It gave the men's team a 10th-place ranking nationally.

Horns women's basketball adds recruit

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 22:31:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s basketball team has announced a third addition to the 2015-16 recruiting class with the signing of southern Alberta multi-sport standout Danielle Fritzke.

Fritzke, a five-foot-10 inch guard, spent the last year at Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a member of the volleyball team but has chosen to return to basketball were she was a standout for the Monsignor McCoy High School in Medicina Hat.

“I enjoyed playing a year of volleyball at the CIS level, but I love the constant excitement, battle, and physical play of basketball,” says Fritzke. “I am very excited to have the opportunity to play for the Pronghorns. The team has been very welcoming, and I think our future looks bright. The Horns fans are always so loud and passionate and that makes me even more excited to play in our home gym because of the great atmosphere; I am excited for the fall and future.”

While at Monsignor McCoy, Fritzke won three 3A Provincial silver medals and Southeast Alberta Basketball Conference (SEBC) league titles and was named the SEBC MVP in 2014. She was also a SEBC all-star in 2013 and 2014.

During her high school career, Fritzke also excelled in both volleyball and soccer, winning a volleyball provincial medal in 2013 and a silver medal in 2011.

Individually, Fritzke was named the Monsignor female athlete of the year in 2014, while also earning the schools MVP award in both basketball and volleyball.

“Dani is an elite level athlete and I am thrilled to add her to the Horns program,” says Horns head coach Erin McAleenan. “I think the intangibles that Dani brings are the most promising for our program’s future.”

“Dani is a hard-working and committed student-athlete who has had a lot of experience and success leading her team, and I believe that she has what it takes to play at the CIS level. Her length, athleticism, and toughness will be a big help in our fight to be a top-four team in Canada West.”

In addition to her prowess on the court and field, Fritzke has also excelled in the classroom, being an honour roll student in grades 10, 11 and 12 and earning the gold cord in grade 12 for an 80 per cent or above average. She has also earned the Canada Winter Games Scholarship, Alberta Catholic Teachers’ Scholarship and Rutherford Scholarship for Academic Excellence.

Horns sweep shot put podium, win six medals at Canada West

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:55:10 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team continued to dominate the men’s throwing events, returning home from the Canada West Championships in Winnipeg with six medals and a major award.

For the second consecutive year, Peter Millman was named Field Athlete of the Year following a double gold medal performance.

For the second consecutive year, Peter Millman was named Field Athlete of the Year after completing a double gold medal performance, claiming both the men's shot put and weight throw titles.

For only the third time in Canada West history, a team swept the podium in a men’s event, with the Horns sweeping the gold, silver and bronze medals in the shot put event. Millman won the shot put with a personal best throw of 17.23 metres, while Ryan Sommer claimed the silver medal and Madison Hurst earned the bronze medal with a personal best toss of 14.06 metres.

Pronghorn athletes were responsible for the only other two podium sweeps in Canada West history as well. In 2003, the Horns swept the men's weight throw and in 2004 the Horns swept the men's shot put event.

Millman and Sommer also medalled in the weight throw event, with Millman winning gold and Sommer claiming a bronze medal. Hurst was seventh in the weight throw and Jordan Armstrong finished ninth. Armstrong also picked up an eighth-place finish in the shot put.

Reigning CIS Rookie of the Year, Aaron Hernandez, continued his dominance in the triple jump, winning his second consecutive gold medal and registering the second furthest jump in Canada West history with a leap of 15.50 metres. Hernandez was an honorable mention for both the Performance of the Meet and Field Event Athlete of the Meet awards.

On the women’s side, the Horns did not return with any medals, but had some noteworthy performances. Montana Forsyth and Lara Roth narrowly missed the podium in the weight throw, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Amanda Weiler finished in 10th spot. The Horns women's 4x200-metre relay narrowly missed a school record and finished seventh.

Other results for the women’s team included: Rebecca Bermel 13th in the women's 60m and 15th in women's long jump; Bryna Cline 13th in women's triple jump with a personal best of 9.95m; Jessi Fersch 18th in women's long jump; and Amaka Ashiofu 16th in women's 60m.

"I was definitely pleased with the weekend’s results and couldn't be happier to see the men complete a sweep of the shot put podium,” says head coach Larry Steinke. "Almost every athlete achieved a personal best and every athlete moved up from where they were ranked going into the meet, so I really couldn't have asked for more.”

Millman, Sommer and Hernandez all qualified for the CIS Championship meet that will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor, March 12-14.

Horns men's soccer seeking consistency

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 20:13:33 +0000

After an up-and-down first home weekend of the season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's soccer team (1-2-1) will remain home this weekend and will have its hands full with the CIS fifth ranked Saskatchewan Huskies (4-0-0).

The first of two games on the weekend is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Community Stadium. Game two goes Sunday, also at 2:15 p.m.

Last weekend versus the MacEwan Griffins, it was a tale of two different efforts for the Horns. After putting forth a dominant performance Saturday afternoon, beating the Griffins 3-0 and not allowing the Griffins to register a shot on goal, the Pronghorns generated a lacklustre performance on Sunday and dropped a 3-1 decision to the same Griffins.

Coming off their first ever CIS Championship tournament appearance last year, the Saskatchewan Huskies have started the season on a torrid pace, outscoring their opponents 16-3 in posting four consecutive wins. The Huskies had a bye last week, but handily beat MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ two weeks ago, 5-0 and 5-1.

Following this weekend’s games, the Horns will not be home again until Oct. 18-19 when they host the Calgary Dinos.

Karp's Korner

At the conclusion of Saturday’s game, the men’s soccer program will be hosting an official dedication of 'Karp’s Korner', a playground at the stadium that is being built to recognize and honour former player and current Horns assistant coach Marcus Karpati, who is battling cancer. Marcus has a passion for children and soccer and the Horns soccer program felt that this was a way to combine these passions at a location that means so much to him.

Women hit the road

Following a four-game homestand, the Pronghorns women’s soccer team (0-4-2) begins a stretch of four consecutive games on the road with a pair of matches this weekend in Winnipeg versus the Winnipeg Wesmen.

The Horns are scheduled to take on the Wesmen Friday and Saturday night with both kick-offs scheduled for 6 p.m. (CST).

Through six games this season, the ‘Horns have been sound defensively but their offensive attack has not been able to find its stride. The U of L has only surrendered seven goals in six games, including three goals in the first game of the season, but have only scored one goal in those six games.

Second-year goalkeeper Micaela Stone made her first appearance of the season last weekend and had a solid performance, combining for 13 saves over two games versus the Regina Cougars. She surrendered just one goal, in the Horns' 1-0 loss on Sunday.

Early in the season the Winnipeg Wesmen (0-4-0) have also had their struggles and have yet to earn a point. In a scheduling quirk, the Wesmen have only played one game in each of the past two weekends and were shutout during both games losing 2-0 to the Manitoba Bisons two weeks ago and 2-0 to MacEwan last Saturday.

The Horns will not see action at home again until October 18-19, the final weekend of the Canada West season.

New Horns head coach eager for opportunity

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 17:45:02 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey coach, Spiros Anastas, will enjoy two honeymoons this summer, and if things go as planned, the honeymoon bliss will last far into the future.

The Pronghorns present the first head coaching assignment for Anastas.

Anastas, hired as the program’s ninth head coach, has a lot on his plate throughout the summer months. He’s moving across both a continent and a border, and is assuming two new roles simultaneously, that of husband to Lindsay and head coach of the Horns.

“We’re extremely excited, it’s going to be a busy summer but we’re excited to come back to Canada and the opportunity that we have here in Lethbridge,” says Anastas.

What the rookie coach lacks in experience, he more than makes up in pedigree, having been introduced to the program by mentors and former Pronghorns coaches Mike Babcock and Bill Peters. Babcock is the current head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and Peters one of his assistants. Anastas has been working with the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids for the past two seasons.

“Right away they had nothing but good things to say about the U of L and credit this institution with basically jump-starting their careers,” says Anastas. “That’s a testament to the hockey program and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a whole, that two guys at that level really believe in this place and think it is somewhere that can have a lot of success.”

Looking back on both the Babcock and Peters eras at the U of L, it would have been hard to project their coaching arcs, given they were both unproven when they came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Anastas is now where they once were, ready for his opportunity to be the lead man of his own program.

“I look forward to the challenge because it’s my chance to do it on my own and really show people what I’ve got,” he says.

Anastas is up front about the task he has inherited. The Horns won just 4 of 28 games last season in Canada West play and have qualified for the playoffs just once in the past five years. Describing himself as detail oriented, Anastas sees a program in need of a culture change.

Anastas has hit the ground running, meeting with media, players and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community in his first few days on campus.

“I’ve worked for a lot of different types of coaches and I like to think I’m a transformational coach and that’s getting a new belief system in place,” he says. “I believe in the process. I don’t coach to outcome, I coach the process. You can win a 2-1 hockey game and the process be terrible, so over a long period of time that’s going to catch up with you.”

His philosophy on recruiting for the program begins not on the road, but internally.

“The first step in recruiting is identifying what you have right here. The players are your best recruiters and if they are enjoying their experience, more will come,” he says. “My message to the guys who are already here is, remember what got you to the WHL, remember what got you drafted and what gave you success, what got you recruited to come here. They all have the ability. We have some very capable and accomplished players on the roster and this is their chance to hit the reset button.”

Anastas had the opportunity to work with Babcock, Peters and the entire Red Wings’ coaching staff during development camps and prospects tournaments, but says the bulk of his learning came off the ice.

“The best part for me was the after-hours part, when you’re sitting at the restaurant or at the hotel evaluating the day,” he says. “Just to be able to have those hockey conversations with them has been extremely beneficial to me as a young coach. The surprising thing to me is that they are always learning as well.”

Anastas describes conversations where Babcock would elicit his opinion on some of the work they were doing.

“I’m thinking, why is he asking a second year coach for an opinion? He might not even take it but he likes to hear what’s out there, what’s in young minds, what’s the new thing,” says Anastas. “That’s why he has maintained his success because he’s always learning, adapting and changing, and that’s the number one thing I’ve learned from him.”

Will it be enough to garner Anastas long-term success behind the Horns’ bench? Like marriage, only time will tell.

UNews - Pronghorns

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